Homebrewed Christianity

About one in four Americans identify as a “None,” which means, when asked about their religious affiliation, they claim “none of the above.” And yet so many of them claim some form of spirituality, or at least a hunger for exploring the possibility of God. In his new move, “Becoming Truly Human,” Nathan Andrew Jacobs follows several young adult Nones through their own journeys in, and out of, organized religion. One of them even ends up back in church, but maybe not where you’d expect.

Amy and Christian explore the importance of heretics in church, whether it’s Christlike to live on the “edge of the inside” of religion as father Richard Rohr calls it, and the important balance between movements and institutions, prophets and priests.

Throughout this episode, we explore the lingering question: Does religion matter anymore? This week on your Homebrewed CultureCast.

Hurricane Harvey was a “1,000-year storm” that will have an impact on the Houston area for years or even decades. But what does such disaster tell us about God? More important, perhaps, is what it tell us about ourselves and how we understand God.

Megachurch Pastor and Prosperity Gospel Preacher Joel Osteen commits a “Sin of Sodom” which he has neither confessed nor asked for forgiveness. What is Church’s role when the waters rise around us?

Sometimes we submit to disruption in our lives; sometimes it overwhelms us with little or no warning. How we handle such moments and how ultimately we emerge from them tells us volumes about our inner selves.

In a special double episode that combines both a CultureCast and a Homebrewed Christianity episode, we celebrate Tripp Fuller’s 1,000th episode LIVE from the main stage at Wild Goose.

On the CultureCast, Christian is joined by Tripp, Kristen Howerton and pastor-cum-rapper JKwest, while Tripp welcomes Christian, Micky ScottBey Jones and Robyn Henderson Espinoza. Tripp “Takes the C–k out of the crown,” the white guys get silenced and what would a live shoe be without some Postmodern 8-ball?

Kristen and I talk about Beer and Hymns, and whether or not alcohol should be allowed in church, and how she balances egalitarian gender roles and a nontraditional family in the Trump era. Julian Deshazier (AKA JKwest) offers his insight on theopoetics as nonviolent resistance. And Tripp…well, Tripp speaks for himself. Always.

Anyone who knows a few pastors probably knows someone who has struggled with burnout. Ministry always has been an atypical job with lots of unique demands and stressors, but as reported in a Barna Research Group study discussed in a new article called “Why Pastors Leave the Ministry,” it’s a growing trend.

Then author and pastor Carol Howard Merritt talks us through how to heal our spiritual wounds as laid out in her latest book called (not surprisingly) “Healing Spiritual Wounds.” Professional hacker and our CultureCast cyber-ethics guru Michael Collins tells us about an experience he had recently at a hackers’ conference where he watched teams of nerds hack into the very election machines used during the 2016 election. He even offers a surprising alternative that he thinks is the most secure way to keep our votes safe.

Christian recommends a book he hasn’t read yet, Amy tells you why you should get stuck in a dryer and, as always, she is afraid of…well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?

What’s it like raising a child on the autism spectrum? Or being married to an adult on the spectrum? In an extended special segment, Amy and Christian Piatt talk about living with these and other realities, as well as how Church deals (or sometimes doesn’t) with special needs. We look into an online resource for autistic people and those who love them, created by none other than a young man who lives with this reality himself.

For the interview, Christian chats with gay Christian activist Justin Lee about Eugene Peterson’s PR skirmish, leaving the LGBT advocacy group he founded and how we rescue the gospel from the “God vs Gays” debate. Lee, author of TORN, started the Gay Christian Network sixteen years ago and, though he can’t talk about details, he explains what it’s like to walk away from a nonprofit you’ve poured yourself into for much of your life.

Finally, after Amy gets her dance on, we talk about who we are without our professional titles and roles, and the emotional challenges that arise when they go away.

Heavy stuff? Not likely on this show. Listen in and decide for yourself.